I bought my 1998 Ranger 4wd at the beginning of September 2011 as a 2nd vehicle (with better gas mileage than my comfortable Tahoe, which will see the driveway more now...I had to relax the mileage improvement goals for a purchase to match what I liked, though). 147k miles now, 143K when I got it. 3.0, 5 speed, reg cab, long bed. I've worked through a lot of the items I either wanted to or needed to. I still have to pull the bed and do a REAL examination of the rear frame (probably get the box frame pieces from the local Boston folk at rangerframefix.com) and replace the rear shackles/hangars (which are already waiting here to be installed). I have a new cam sync but haven't put it in yet (no symptoms, just a prophylactic act). Still have some fluids to replace/flush, and a rear pinion seal to install. I've learned about the world of u-pull-it junkyards, although my used parts have come from private sales so far. rockauto.com and tascaparts.com have been regulars, too. I had replaced both front hub bearings (so had new o-ring slots and new o-rings too), replaced the vacuum hoses, and cleaned up the vacuum hub internals, but still no go on actuation...must be leaking vacuum out the rear of the hubs, since everything prior to that is OK. So I'm giving up the ghost and getting a pair of scrapped Ranger manual hubs. Anyways, this is providing recreational time working on it, and as a 2nd vehicle can stay awhile on jackstands awaiting parts or work. If you had asked me in August if I'd be getting fingernails dirty and banging knuckles with wrenches on rusted truck bolts I would have called you crazy. Something must have snapped! I probably am atypical on the forum, having passed the big 5-0 mark a while ago (well, more than a while ago). I remember offroad outfitting my first 4wd compact pickup 30 years ago (axle trusses front and rear, double shocks, large tires whose size I can't remember, offroad light bar, 2nd gas tank, and...and....). That previous truck went across the US 3 times or more, with some memorable off road trips in Colorado and the Grand Canyon where ALL the gear was tested. This Ranger will have it's own character and memories created. I see a lot of names here from whom I've read many a post elsewhere. -- Ned
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